Entertainment and Sports Arena: Difference between revisions

| stadium_name = Entertainment and Sports Arena

| nickname =

| former_names = St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena {{small|(planning/construction)}}

| image = St. Elizabeths Arena 2020a.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption = Exterior of the venue in 2020

| logo_image = File:Entertainment_and_Sports_Arena_-_Washington,_DC.jpg

| location = [[St. Elizabeths Hospital|St. Elizabeths East Campus]]

| address = 1100 Oak Dr SE<br>[[Washington, D.C.]] 20032

| architect = {{hlist|Rossetti Architects|Marshall Moya Design Group}}

| builder =

| project_manager = Brailsford & Dunlavey

| structural engineer = Setty & Associates

| services engineer = Wiles Mensch Corporation

| general_contractor = Smoot Construction

| main_contractors = Gilbane Building Company

| tenants = [[Capital City Go-Go]] {{small|([[NBA G League|G LeagueNBAGL]]) (2018–present)}}<br>[[Washington Mystics]] {{small|([[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]]) (2019–present)}}

| seating_capacity = 4,200<br>{{Collapsible list|expand=|framestyle=|titlestyle=|title=Detailed capacity<ref>{{cite web |url=http://esaontherise.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018.05.04-edc-esa-r8-v1-all-e-p-r.pdf |title=Facilities Guide: Entertainment & Sports Arena |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=May 4, 2019 |website=Events DC |access-date=June 1, 2019 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224162828/http://esaontherise.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018.05.04-edc-esa-r8-v1-all-e-p-r.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>|liststyle=|hlist=|bullets=|Concerts: 4,119|Basketball: 4,111|Boxing: 4,222|Esports: 4,119}}

The arena was officially opened on September 22, 2018.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Mark |last1=Segraves |work=News4 |first2=Sophia |last2=Barnes |orig-date=September 18, 2018 |date=September 22, 2018 |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/DC-Entertainment-and-Sports-Arena-in-Southeast-Sets-Grand-Opening-Concerts-493652921.html |title=DC Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southeast Opens |access-date=September 23, 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Entertainment and Sports Arena Exterior.jpg |thumb|left |155px |The venue aroundcirca 2018.]]

Construction for the arena, to include razing of surrounding buildings, began on February 19, 2016.<ref>{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Giambrone |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/city-desk/blog/13070495/bowser-kicks-off-st-elizabeths-demolition-for-wizards-practice-facility |title=Bowser Kicks Off St. Elizabeths Demolition for Wizards' Practice Facility |access-date=August 1, 2017 |date=February 19, 2016 |work=[[Washington City Paper]]}}</ref> Of the $65 million estimated cost for construction, 90% of the cost willwas to be taxpayer funded. The District of Columbia will ownowns the facility while [[Events DC]] will operate the facility.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jonathan |last=O'Connell |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2015/09/15/bowser-outlines-details-of-st-elizabeths-deal/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Bowser outlines details of St. Elizabeths deal |access-date=September 15, 2015 |date=September 15, 2015}}</ref>

Members of the [[Council of the District of Columbia|DC Council]] sought to introduce legislation capping public expenditure in the case of cost overruns.<ref name="wp.practice">{{cite news |title= D.C. Council member proposes spending cap for Wizards facility |first= Jonathan |last= O'Connell |date= March 1, 2016 |worknewspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2016/03/01/d-c-council-member-proposes-spending-cap-for-wizards-facility/}}</ref> On July 28, Greg O'Dell, Chairperson of Events DC, requested an additional $10 million in funding while decreasing the number of seats in the facility.<ref name="wp.overruns" /> He said earlier estimates were premature.<ref name="wp.overruns">{{cite news |title=Cost of Wizards practice facility rises $10 million before construction can even begin |first= Jonathan |last= O'Connell |date= July 28, 2016 |worknewspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2016/07/28/before-construction-can-begin-cost-of-wizards-practice-facility-rises-10-million/?postshare=6821469735085188&tid=ss_tw-bottom }}</ref>

In 2018, O'Dell announced that the cost had increased to $68.8 million, due in part to additions like drywall, and catwalks and higher than anticipated costs like contractors.<ref name="wcp.overrun">{{cite news |title=Price Tag of Taxpayer-Funded Wizards Arena Grows to $69 Million |first=Andrew |last=GIAMBRONEGiambrone |date=March 1, 2018 |work=[[The Washington City Paper]] |url=https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/loose-lips/blog/20994367/price-tag-of-taxpayerfunded-wizards-arena-grows-to-69-million}}</ref> The final cost was nearly 25 percent more than estimated, which DC taxpayers were required to cover.<ref name="cbe" />

Events DC boasted about the number of local business used in the construction of the facility, but could not provide a list of any of the businesses. Local businesses reported that they were unable to find work at the site.<ref name="cbe">{{cite news |last=Baskin |first=Morgan |date=24 January 2019 |title= Construction Companies Open East-of-the-River Offices to Win Lucrative Contracts |url=https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/housing-complex/article/21044663/construction-companies-open-eastoftheriver-offices-to-win-lucrative-contracts |work=[[Washington City Paper |location=Washington DC]] |access-date= 26 January 2019}}</ref>

|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2019/05/15/d-c-reconciles-true-costs-of-running-newarena-at.html |work=[[Washington Business Journal |location=Washington DC]] |access-date=15 May 2019}}</ref> A contract for a firm to find naming rights for the facility was funded at $180,000 per year.<ref name=wbj.operations/>

*The [[ColonialCoastal Athletic Association]] Menmen's Basketballbasketball Tournamenttournament]].

*[[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]]'s pay-per-view event [[Capital Collision]] will take placeon May 14, 2022, April 15, 2023, and August 30, 2024.

[[File:AmeriCup Qualifying Game at St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena.jpg|thumb|USA Basketball hosts Puerto Rico in an AmeriCup Qualifying Game in February 2020 at the arena.|710x710px|alt=|left]]

{{-Clear}}

[[Category:Washington Mystics venues]]